Capturing immigrants’ arrival in a new land

A STUNNING exhibition of haunting century-old images of American immigrants opened in Cork last night.

The collection was taken by Augustus Frederick Sherman, a registry clerk at New York’s Ellis Island from 1905 to 1920.

This untrained yet highly-gifted photographer created hundreds of images documenting the new arrivals to America.

In the hours when he wasn’t determining the fate of thousands of immigrants disembarking daily in New York Harbour from foreign vessels, he was coaxing them to dress in their finest attire and gaze at his camera.

Fascinated by the diverse origins and cultural backgrounds of his subjects, Mr Sherman created a riveting series of portraits, offering viewers a compelling human perspective on this dynamic period in US history.

The exhibition, on loan from the Aperture Foundation in New York, consists of 75 framed black and white photographs.

The collection is touring the world and when it opened in Ellis Island’s exhibition centre last year, some people came hoping to find names of their forebears.

Cork Museum curator Stella Cherry said: “I think it’s very relevant for Cork today, especially with the number of migrants coming to the city.” The exhibition continues at Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald’s Park until February 25.